Lion’s mane mushroom—a white fluffy and shaggy fungus resembling a lion’s mane—is an edible mushroom with several culinary and medical uses in most Asian countries. It also goes by the name hou tou gu or yamabushitake in China and Japan.
In many places, you can eat these mushrooms raw, cooked, or dried. However, aside from being an ingredient for many delicacies, it offers several health benefits that prompted medical experts to use them for nutritional supplements.
If you’re curious just how these tiny mushrooms have such a positive effect on the human body, here are a few of the benefits that come with lion’s mane mushrooms:
1. Stimulates Growth of Brain Cells
According to research, lion’s mane mushrooms contain compounds that boost and stimulate the growth and development of brain cells. They also offer considerable protection from nerve damage associated with mental illnesses such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition to this, a study conducted in Japan back in 2009 on individuals aged 50 to 80 years old showed that daily consumption of these mushrooms results in cognitive improvement, as participants scored relatively high in cognitive function tests at various stages of the study.
2. Relieves Depression and Anxiety
In the past, lion’s mane mushrooms were used as a means to treat anxiety and depression. And unlike antidepressant drugs, this fungus focuses more on the growth of nerves within the hippocampus rather than altering the production of neurotransmitters to alleviate symptoms related to these medical illnesses.
However, there’s little information about the effectiveness of lion’s mane mushrooms in treating depression and anxiety. As such, medical experts are currently conducting research on mice to explore different biochemical pathways that explains how these mushrooms can help treat these mood disorders in the future.
3. Prevents Development of Ulcers
Researchers discovered that extracts from lion’s mane mushrooms could prevent the growth of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which is one of the significant factors contributing to the formation of ulcers in the digestive tract. In addition to this, claims on the effectiveness of lion’s mane mushrooms in preventing alcohol-induced stomach ulcers over traditional acid-lowering medications have also been reported by patients worldwide.
4. Boosts the Immune System
There’s still insufficient information to support this claim. Yet, according to researchers, lion’s mane mushrooms have the potential to boost the intestinal immune system, which plays a massive role in protecting the body from pathogens that enter through the mouth or nose.
One study also shows that supplementing lion’s mane extracts to mice injected with a lethal dose of salmonella bacteria resulted in longer survivability compared to normal subjects. So, even though research about this is still developing, most studies have shown promising results that back this theory.
Conclusion
Indeed, there’s still inadequate scientific evidence and information that supports all the alleged health benefits that come with consuming lion’s mane mushrooms. However, there’s no denying that all research involving these mushrooms have been promising. There are also no reported adverse side effects. With that, if you want to confirm these benefits by yourself, it won’t hurt to give them a try through nutritional supplements and coffee recipes that have them as ingredients.
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